Candles have been known for many centuries going back to the eighth century B.C. The nature of candles is described in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Volume A5 at pages 29-30 where it is seen that candles are made from paraffin, beeswax and stearin as basic materials, and where a host of additives may also be present.
It is not surprising that with candles and wax becoming increasingly more important attention was paid as to how to stabilize the said materials. At the National Candle Association Meeting in Houston, 1994, R. van der Vennet presented a paper on “Antioxidants in Wax-Replacement of BHT” touting the use of Vitamin E (tocopherol) as an antioxidant to prevent the yellowing of wax when oxidized. WO 94/13736 describes the same invention.
EP 359,488 A3 and EP 133,964 B1 describe stabilized waxes used in cosmetics where the waxes are the same or similar to those used in candles.
EP 5,922 A1 describes lip cosmetics where the waxes are useful in lipsticks and are related to those useful in candles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,694 describes in detail transparent gel candles both in composition and structure. The use of BHT as an antioxidant is mentioned.
At the National Candle Association Technical Meeting on Apr. 16, 1998, F. A. Ballentine et al., presented a paper entitled “Inhibiting Color Fading of Dyed Candles with CYASORB® Light Absorbers” in which the general theories of thermal oxidation and photodegradation are discussed along with data on the effect of light absorbers on color stability of dyed candle waxes. The light absorbers compared are 4-octyloxy-2-hydroxybenzophenone UV-531; 4-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzophenone UV-9; 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole UV-5365; 2-(2-hydroxy-5-tert-octylphenyl-2H-benzotriazole UV-5411 and 2-(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-amylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole UV-2337).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,905 teaches dyed and scented candle gels containing triblock copolymers and a hydrocarbon oil of high flash point. This reference teaches that a light (UV) absorber may be used to improve the shelf stability of the candle color when exposed to visible or ultraviolet light. Two preferred absorbers are ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate (PARSOL® MCX, Roche) and 2-(2-hydroxy-5-tert-octylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole (CYASORB® 5411, Cytec).
WO 00/22037 teaches the stabilization of solid, shaped and colored wax articles, including candles, using a malonate UV absorber which may optionally contain a hindered amine moiety as part of the malonate compound structure. The wax articles are dyed with a variety of oil soluble dyes and pigments. The samples protected by dimethyl p-methoxybenzylidinemalonate exhibited better resistance to discoloration that did samples stabilized with selected benzotriazole or benzophenone UV absorbers.
Japanese Hei 3-278554 teaches that wax crayons (drawing materials) colored by organic pigments can be stabilized by a hindered amine and/or benzotriazole.
In respect to wax stabilization, the use of selected hindered amines and/or benzotriazole UV absorbers is also known in the prior art as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,530,084; 4,379,721; 4,616,051 and 5,964,905 and in copending applications Ser. Nos. 09/495,495, 09/495,496 and 09/741,583.
British 2,333,774 A and WO 00/31069 describe a number of 2-oxopiperazinyl derivatives useful for the stabilization of organic materials especially polymers and photographic materials.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,167,512 and 4,190,571 describe some 2-keto-1,4-diaza-cycloalkanes including piperazinones as light stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,547,538; 4,480,092; 5,026,848 and 5,071,981 teach various oxo-piperazinyl-triazines including oligomeric structures as light stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,961 describes the preparation of piperazinones.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,995 depicts the preparation of sterically hindered amine ethers where the cyclic ring is inter alia a piperazinone. These compounds are useful as stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,033,928; 4,110,304 and 4,123,418 teach inter alia that selected piperazinones are useful in protecting epoxy resins and styrene polymers from degradation.
None of these references teach the superior performance provided when the piperazinone compounds are used in conjunction with a UV absorber and/or antioxidant to stabilize candle wax.